Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew G. Axelson was part of a four-man unit that was attacked June 28, 2005 in a wooded, mountainous area of Kunar province, which is along the Pakistani border. The commandos were on a reconnaissance mission when they were ambushed and called for help, said Lt. Taylor Clark, public affairs officer for Naval Special Forces Command. He was a member of the SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team One, based in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, which trains with submersible vehicles. The Monta Vista High School graduate had earned a degree in political science at Chico State University and joined the Navy in 2000. He was awarded military honors, including the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.

Ray Garland, a neighbor who watched him grow up in their Cupertino neighborhood, said Axelson had been "a delightful, fun-loving young boy who loved riding his bike and going on skateboard ramps on our cul-de-sac."

Axelson grew into a young man who "had a very calm, unflappable personality ... who had the ability to defuse tension wherever he found it," Garland said. "He just had a very easy, comfortable, enjoyable way about him."

These brave men and women have given their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

If you have a loved who has served or is currently serving in the armed forces, and would like for me to profile them as a Wednesday Hero, I would be proud to. Just email me with some info and a photo.We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams. Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To LookFiled under Wednesday Heroes